


Terror and Hate in Mekka Strip

by PenelopeShips



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Casino!AU, F/F, Prophecy Investigations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:34:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26905963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PenelopeShips/pseuds/PenelopeShips
Summary: After guests of the Darklight Grand start disappearing, crooked owner Enith Shattercry needs help below the radar, so it's up to Prophecy Investigations to take up the case. Future, Vera, and Violet Blue begin their search alone before begrudgingly accepting help from Future's FBI contact, Nona. Will our heroes be able to crack the case? Or does the house always win?*This is an AU of our femme fatale D&D campaign. Yeah, we're pretty fuckin rad.*
Relationships: Future/Being Toxic, Nona Westphalen/To-The-Future-Kneels, Vera/To-The-Future-Kneels, Violet Blue/Marthia Fiddlefingers
Kudos: 3





	Terror and Hate in Mekka Strip

“Yes, but are you sure we need _this_ job Future?” Violet Blue asked impatiently as Prophecy Investigations made their way through security, pat down by a friendly Warforged. 

Stepping past, To-The-Future, Kneels took a deep breath of the stuffy, sweaty air inside the Darklight Grand’s lobby. The majesty of the building was almost overwhelming at first. The lobby was mythically proportioned and marbled with a fountain shooting up 3 floors. Beyond the lobby, there was a huge gambling hall with tables, attendants, and machines along with a grand staircase leading to the upper floors.

“One must not forget their roots, no Violet Blue?” Future stood upright and confident in her stunning lounge gown, one hand on her hip, before her cinematic moment was interrupted by the hurried bump of a disheveled man off to spin away the rest of his paycheck. Future was reminded that though the building was grand, the owner made sure that any clientele were welcome, leading to a seedier reputation than the other, elitist casinos on the strip.Her triumphant entrance broken, Future sighed. “Besides, without Tor we have found ourselves very low on funds _amie._ We cannot be very pickie-choosie.” 

Vera walked up behind Future, wearing her human disguise and relieved to have gotten past security without alarm. She lifted a small contraption up to her trademark tired eyes that couldn’t be disguised under any amount of putty. Pointing it at the casino floor in front of them, she clicked a button on top.

*Snap*

Future jumped a little at the too-close camera shutter and flash above her shoulder before looking back at Vera slightly frustrated. Vera didn’t look up from her Model 110A Polaroid Pathfinder as she gingerly peeled the polaroid it presented from inside the camera. Without looking up, she adjusted the settings, reset the film roll, and refolded the rig, all while feeling Future’s glare. “Have to make sure Sebastian is working properly.” She said plainly in a mumble. “Plus that gut that bumped you looked shifty.” Future rolled her eyes at Vera’s paranoia.

The three would have looked out of place anywhere else on Mekka’s strip, a confident and glamorously dressed Tabaxi with gorgeous locks, a small but fierce Tiefling with scars to prove it, thinly disguised as a human, and a tall, earnest, and stocky Firbolg with large round glasses, dark and freckled skin, and long white hair thrown up in a bun that hadn’t been taken out in weeks. In the melting pot of the Darklight Grand though, they fit in just fine. 

“That machine is still so interesting _Rose._ ” Violet Blue said with glee upon using her friend's codename, already forgetting her disdain at being in such a seedy establishment. She had been shadowing the detectives of Prophecy Investigations since their establishment back a couple months, still fresh to the world beyond her commune. She took a fresh cigarette out of her bun and stuck it between her lips while also pulling a clipboard from her messenger bag to start taking down notes on the lobby. “There’s lots to keep track of, so pictures are a perfect tool! Good thinking!”

“ _That machine’_ s name is Sebastian.” Vera grumbled, folding him back up. She realized she was being cold again and took a short breath.. “But thanks kid. You’ve got plenty of useful skills yourself.”

Violet Blue gave a quiet huff at being called “kid.” Because of Firbolgs’ lengthy ages, she was older than both her cohorts, even if they didn’t treat her that way. “So maybe you guys could make me a detective too?” Violet Blue asked. With the numbers of P.I. dwindling, she hoped that the need for folks could get her bumped up from interning. 

Future quickly picked up the scene and deflected. “But you have so much more to learn _amie_! We wouldn’t want you to rush ahead into responsibility you’re not ready for.” She deftly swiped a lighter off a passing Clyde and held it up to Violet Blue’s cigarette. The flame danced in VB’s heterochromatic eyes, violet and blue gleaming in the lowlight. “Besides Violet Blue,” Future continued. “We need someone to take notes so we can track the case, and I’ve never met anybody as talented as you when it comes to that. Plus, you don’t need to be a detective to be a great doctor.” Future finished her fast talk and started heading to the stairs to Enith Shattercry’s office without expecting a response.Vera followed suit, nervously looking over each shoulder as they passed through the open lobby, almost hiding under the collar of her long trench coat that masked her black turtleneck and wiry-thin figure underneath. Violet Blue took a short drag of her cigarette, unsure of herself, before returning to feverishly taking down notes for the detectives while walking behind them. 

* * *

Enith Shattercry had her back to the door as P.I. made their way into her office. “Have a seat detectives.” She said in a raspy voice that betrayed no weakness. The Goliath woman turned around and her tall, muscular, and weathered figure cast a shadow on the trio. She was wearing a white button up with the sleeves rolled up and suspenders that contrasted with her messy, braided mohawk. She looked down at the detectives as they sat. 

“Would you like some scotch?” 

“That was dramatic as fuck,” Future thought. “But we can play along.” Future scanned the room. It was worn, as if it had seen a lot of misuse. The furniture was classy without being gaudy. There were lots of filing cabinets around Enith’s desk and behind the chairs where they now sat. She wasn’t normally a scotch detective, but looking at the bottle of fine liquor and tasting its price through her eyes, Future’s id won over. It had been a long time since her last nice drink. Besides, Vera looked like she could use a drink even more.

“Of course, Enith.” Future responded with a smile, like she was playing along with a scene.

Enith poured each of the investigators a drink in crystalline glasses and offered a drink to each with a quiet intensity. Vera snatched the drink before giving it a not-so-subtle sniff and throwing it back. Violet Blue shook her head and Vera took her drink as well. Future took a sip before breaking the silence.

“So what’s the case? Someone cheating? An _adulterine_ has dared make the great Enith Shattercry a wittol?” Future said with a smug cadence.

“There’s been a series of kidnappings.”

The P.I.s sat up stiffly. Prophecy Investigations usually dealt with petty investigations like scorned lovers and missing pets. One kidnapping would be a big step up in the private investigator community, let alone multiple.

“Or murders. It’s not really clear. That’s why I need some investigators.”

Vera and Violet Blue looked shocked, but a large grin crept up Future’s face. This could be the case that put them into the spotlight of primetime society. 

“Why of course we’d be willing to help investigate such, Enith. Though, might I ask why you asked for us specifically?” Future said, barely holding back a giddy laugh.

“I heard some about you when I started picking up your compatriots. Bastion gave a glowing review, Illya said you had spunk, and Tor kept saying that they were better off stealing with you, so I know you can stay discrete as well.”

Violet Blue frowned. She learned from Tor that “discrete” usually meant “illegal.” “Why not get the actual authorities involved instead?” Violet Blue asked before getting a glare from Future. 

Enith gave a short laugh. “The ‘actual authorities’ have been looking for any excuse to get in here and bust up my establishment for years. No good reason to let them in now. Besides, I need people who won’t draw attention. The Darklight Grand has a valuable ‘anything goes’ keen vibration I intend to keep up.” Her face soured. “Our no fuzz policy is why we’re able to have _everyone_ welcome, not just the dwarves and humans like the other casinos on the strip.”

Vera crunched an ice cube. She could feel the scotch settling into her bones like marrow. “What are the details of this gig?.” She looked at Violet Blue to start taking notes. Violet Blue reluctantly raised her pen to her pad.

“Sixty-Two people over the last two months. All various backgrounds and races and reported to have last been seen here” Enith started in a monotone.”No trace of violence, though many seemed to have just walked off from whatever they had been doing immediately prior to their disappearance.“Violet Blue kept intense focus on her notepad. “I don’t know if there’s a pattern or if there’s just a Ripper running amok, but I know that the fuzz are catching on and I need this to stop quick. That’s all I have for you to go on so far. You can work with that I assume?” Vera nodded and started lifting up her hand to shake to close the deal.

“And how much will you be paying us?” Future said abruptly, she was never one to scoot around politeness when it came to coin. Vera tucked her hand back into her pocket, blushing under the heavy coating of makeup on her face. 

Enith chuckled. “Tor warned me about you.” She turned to pick up a sack of coin behind her desk. “50,000 Gold upfront. 200,000 after if you solve my problem and do a small favor for me.” 

Vera and Violet Blue looked wide-eyed at the sack of coin. Future casually leaned forward, “And what might this favor be?”

* * *

The trio of detectives entered the ground floor and stepped into the bustling casino portion of the Darklight Grand. They had been silent down the stairs after finishing their arrangements with Enith. They were to investigate on the down low, undercover as Grand staff. Violet Blue was checking guest satisfaction, Vera was to take promotional photos, and Future…

“Ready to perform tonight, boss?” Vera asked with a mocking grin. They all knew Future did everything she could to avoid returning to her old gimmick and gain fame outside of her old persona, but no matter how hard she tried, everyone always requested a performance from the famed former child star Hellcat, Enith included.

“Of course my dear _Vera_ ,” Future retorted with a smirk. The utterance of Vera’s true name aloud caused her to panickedly dart her head around to make sure no one was taking note of their conversation. 

“ _Future_.” Vera said through gritted teeth, still peeking around, “It’s _Rose_ while we’re in public.” 

“But _ROSE_ ,” Future said with an overly dramatic tone. “Vera is such a beautiful name, and I so rarely get to see you in private.” She finished teasily.

Vera blushed and looked away frustrated. Violet Blue finished her last note from their meeting with Enith and looked up at her compatriots. 

“Okay, so Enith gave me a short list of folks to talk to for useful information. They’ll know we’re investigators beforehand so no need to keep up the act. There’s two to start so I suggest splitting up and speaking to each-”

“I’ll take the first one. Who and where?” Vera said while adjusting Sebastian to the lighting. Sh was excited to get away after being embarrassed at Future’s flirtation.

Violet Blue continued, unsurprised by the results of Vera’s initial teasing. “You’ll like this one. Bastion is here actually! Enith promoted him to manager of the floor, so hopefully he has some more info on what’s going on. He’s in his office in the far corner of the floor so you-” Vera started marching off before VB could finish. “Say hi for us!” She shouted instead. Violet Blue turned to Future. “I hope Bastion is alright, it was a shame he couldn’t stay our informer after the Forged Laws passed. I was nice of Enith to give him such a nice job.” Violet Blue smiled.

“Yes, yes. A floor manager is such a generous position. Who else is on your list _amie_?” Future asked.

“Well there’s the head of security, Throll Glasshadow, and the lead repairwoman Marthia Fiddlefingers. Who do you want to visit Future?”

“I’ll head to the security office, Enith said my ‘getup’ was there as well.” Future said with a tad of disdain. “I hate that costume.” she said to herself. “Let’s meet back here in a couple hours. Vera will wander back looking for us eventually.” 

“You sure?” Violet Blue asked, looking through the crowd for an already disappeared Vera. “She doesn’t usually turn up for our fact-shares.”

Future held up a stack of film. “Oh I’m sure,” she said with a grin.

* * *

Vera passed through the casino floor, making sure to blend in with the crowd. Her tall collar concealed her heavily disguised face as she avoided the sight of anyone who might recognize her from her childhood as part of Heaven’s Demons, a mafia that had tortured, imprisoned, and brainwashed her as a child in an attempt to properly induct her into their “family.” Their continued search for her and other escapees was the driving force behind her paranoia. Almost everywhere she looked she could project the mug of their vicious den mother, Orcus, on the blank faces around her. 

As she neared the office, the games seemed to become higher and higher stakes. The clothing of the guests seemed to be increasing in price and thread count as she swifty skated past winners, losers, and conversations about various ethical and unethical activities. 

Vera walked up to Bastion’s office, attempting to peer through the frosted glass to no avail. She knocked on the door and was greeted by the welcoming face of her former coworker and friend. “Hello my good folk, how may I help you?” 

“Bastion it’s me,” Vera said without uncovering her face.

“Sorry, I know quite a few Mees. You’ll have to specify.” He said in a jovial tone.

She looked up, making eye-to-manufactured lens contact.

“ _Vera,_ ” Bastion whispered shocked. “Come in, quickly,” Bastion said urgently. 

Vera slid through the door into Bastion’s office, seeing the curled up form of Dutch under his desk. On the walls there were various posters with slogans promoting productivity and one with a “Hang in there” kitten Tabaxi. The office had a red oak theme that all at once looked very classy and corny. 

“Sorry for the ‘happy act’ out there. Customer service nowadays.” Bastion looked tired as he sat back in his chair and plugged a port into his arm that was attached to his desk. The desk lit up with notifications and other lights, before he motioned them away to turn to Vera. “Though, I’m very thankful for the job.” He added quickly. He wore a three piece suit uniform of red and white that fit stiffly over his magikal and wooden frame, topped with a small fez. The whole uniform made him look a little silly. Vera held back a smirk and let herself feel relief at being alone with a friend instead as she fell into a rickety chair opposite Bastion’s desk. 

“Thanks for the privacy Bastion.” 

“Of course Vera. Anything for my favorite detectives.” He gave a wink. “I hear you're here about the disappearances. I’d be happy to tell you what I know, if our old deal still stands.” His oaken face shifted into a smile as he turned, coughed, and held out his hand. 

Vera rolled her eyes and reached into her bag. “We’re in private Bastion. No one can see you.”

“Old habits die hard.” Bastion said with a wink as he slid the coins into a desk drawer full of chips. “So I hear Hellcat is performing tonight?” 

They both chuckled before Vera replied. “Yeah, Future’s not that happy about it. Have _you_ been alright Bastion? I know the new laws the United Empire passed weren’t kind to your... kind.” 

“Yeah, the Forged Laws weren’t great, but luckily I was already working with Enith some before they came about. I was just able to apply here and get an actual room and everything. Honestly, I feel pretty lucky.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re doing alright. Maybe we can talk shop about Sebastian after this whole gig is up. I know you had some interesting plans for lens extensions or even speeding up the reloading of the film.” Vera said fondly. “So what do you know about the disappearances?” She said, shifting into a slightly more serious tone. 

“Right. Well, I don’t have too much info for you. As floor manager, I only get involved when folks are acting up or something fishy is going down. I can tell you that there’s been no signs of struggle anywhere pertaining to the missing persons and that folks come to me after they’re lost for a while. Usually, they didn’t even have a room here.” 

“That’s not a lot so far Bastion. I might have to ask for my coin back.” Vera said with a teasing smile. 

“Very funny. I do have something that will interest you, though it might not paint Enith in the best light…” Bastion looked away towards a recharging Dutch.

“No issue here, you know I can keep a secret,” Vera said with a tired smile. 

Bastion looked back at Vera and let some of the tension sink out of his stiff shoulders. “Many of the folks who’ve disappeared so far had been on a winning streak. Like, an extraordinary winning streak.” He looked at Vera with widened lenses to state just how serious of a streak he meant. “Now that’s not everyone, but the few other disappearances could’ve been coincidental or just... side errands.” 

“So you think that because all these victims were winning tons of cash that Enith had them taken out? Why hire us then?” Vera said puzzled.

“I didn’t say I think anything of my wonderful and gracious boss.” Bastion said frantically. “But if she were to cover her tracks before the police were to bust up the place, she might hire a group of hungry investigators to root out any of the various criminals that deal here and use them as a scapegoat or at least to stall. That’s not what I think though.”

“Of course.” Vera sat back, deep in thought to herself. “Could Enith really be behind all this? Doubtful, but it’s worth a look. Doubt she’s laid out all the cards she has.” 

Bastion stood up, breaking Vera’s silence and train of thought. “That’s all I have. But I could take a look at your camera if you’d like? Install those upgrades?” 

“That would be great. Thanks, Bastion.” Vera said, not all there. Her detective brain was churning.

* * *

Future went back into the Darklight Grand’s lobby to knock on the door of the security office, her flashy fashion catching an eye of mystique from everyone she passed by. “I’m going to miss that look,” she thought as she dreaded the costume awaiting her in the security office. She knocked on the door and was met with the nasal voice of a noble-sounding man. 

“Who’s knocking?” It asked annoyed.

“To-the-Future, Kneels. I was hired by Enith.”

“And so are a couple hundred other people here,” the voice said dismissively.

Future sighed. “I’m performing tonight?”

“And?”

“As Hellcat.” Future said quietly, frustration beginning to peak through.

“As Hell-who?”

“ _As Hellcat_.” Future growled through her teeth, catching the attention of some folks who grinned and kept walking after hearing the name. There was the sound of locks being turned and the door opened to reveal a thin, fair-skinned human man with a buzzed, dark widow’s peak, small chin goatee, and round glasses with a greenish-yellow tint.

“Well, _Hellcat_ , why didn't you just say so?” He said with a cocky smirk.

“Throll Glasshadow, I presume?” Future said with an aggravated tone, hurriedly stepping into the office. It looked like this “office” had been some sort of stage prep room before a renovation. Lights around makeup mirrors were illuminating the room while papers were scattered on the counter in front of them, creating the makeshift desk Throll seemed to work at. The rest of the room was empty, dirty, and ramshackle. In the far right corner of the room was a tall birdcage holding a beautiful yellow parrot and there were costumes on a rack for all the performers. She could already see the childish uniform she wore in her Hellcat days. She cringed and looked at the other side of the room where scrying glasses showed what was going on throughout the Darklight Grand. 

“ _Head of Security_ Throll Glasshadow, yes,” He said with an air of superiority.

“Well, congratulations, _Head of Security_ Glasshadow. By the looks of your office, this seems to be a very prestigious position, no?” She turned to him with a smirk, stealing away the one Glasshadow had.

“Just take your costume and get out of my hair.” He said sourly before sitting at his desk and filling out forms. 

“Actually, I had some questions for you Glasshadow.” She said, feeling at home now that the dynamic had switched. 

“What?” He mumbled, not looking up.

Future slid onto the desk and sat down next to where Glasshadow was writing. His writing froze as she began to tap her claws rhythmically on the counter. “What do you know about the disappearances around here?”

He tossed his pen to the counter in frustration before looking up at Future. “There aren’t any disappearances,” He grouched. “Enith is just paranoid. Besides, I’m Head of Security so if anything, I should be asking you questions.”

“No questions!” *Squawk* “No questions!” the parrot replied, almost breaking Future’s cool with surprise. 

Future stretched out her arm to casually look at the back of her silver-casted claws. “But Glasshadow,” she said, the words dripping in her own superiority. “Enith didn’t ask you to investigate them, did she? She asked me.” Future slowly turned her head over her shoulder to face him with a subtle grin.

Glasshadow’s face flushed red and he looked away, embarrassed. “Well, you won’t find anything anyway. Like I said, there are no ‘mysterious’ disappearances. Everyone who went missing had already cashed out before going missing. I have that on tape.” He gestured over to a stack of cassettes next to the scrying glass. “They probably just took their winnings and ran away to start again somewhere new. I know I would.” Future stepped over to pick up some of the tapes. He turned back towards Future and squinted his eyes. “You should leave this alone, detective. There are many powerful figures that won’t take kindly to an outsider snooping about.” He began to smirk as he picked up his pen and began to fill out forms again. “A lady like you shouldn’t have to worry about such things. You should leave this to the professionals and get ready for your childrens’ show, _Hellcat_.”

Future’s own grin hadn’t dropped for a second. The bird made another commotion before Glasshadow waved his hand at the bird to make it stop. She pocketed some of the tapes and waltzed over to grab her costume, a gaudy black short sleeve button up with flame decals, wraparound sunglasses, a wig of short, frosted spikes already gelled up. She walked back over to Glasshadow and bent down to whisper in his ear. “Just remember who Enith actually hired to do work around here. You are only here to do the paperwork, errand boy. You are vestigial. Remember that before snooping about _my_ business.” She stepped back again.

“Au revoir.” Future said, her back already to the frozen and beet red figure of Throll Glasshadow hunched at his desk as she left the room.

* * * 

Violet Blue wandered about the electric-powered slot machines and games, her tall figure aiding in her attempts to spot the floor’s lead repairwoman. She bumped past folks with cups full of coin feeding the hungry slots and was almost overwhelmed by the constant dinging and ringing before she spotted her target. Marthia Fiddlefingers was lying on the ground, half under an out of order slot machine. She grabbed and traded tools from her belt without rolling out from under the machine. Violet Blue took out her notepad and sat down on the floor beside her. 

“Marthia?” Violet Blue heard a bang as Marthia hit her head on the bottom of the machine in surprise. She gave a pained grunt before rolling out. 

“Sorry. Did you need a machine fixed miss?” Marthia said as she rubbed her head before meeting the eyes of the cross-legged Firbolg. There was a short silence while Violet Blue gazed into Marthia’s eyes herself. She was a Gnome with a grimy jumpsuit, messy and knotty hair, and freckles almost imperceptible because of the oil on her cheeks. The stare between them was broken when Marthia turned away to scrub the grime off her face with her sleeves, not doing much but spreading it around. 

She coughed to break the silence. “Hi. Yes. Um. You needed something?” She asked in an Oceanic accent.

“Yes, I’m Violet Blue of Prophecy Investigations. Are you the lead repairwoman here?” 

“Yeah,” She wiped her hands on an oil rag and held out her hand to shake. “Marthia Fiddlefingers. Mind if we stand up off the floor? It’s kind of gross to be honest.” She said with a grimace.

“Of course.” Violet Blue stood up and effortlessly lifted Marthia by the hand she held to shake. Marthia looked a bit surprised, if not awed. 

“Thanks,” she said quietly, not breaking eye contact with the tall woman in front of her. Suddenly Marthia noticed that she was still holding Violet Blue’s hand and pulled it away. “Sorry. Enith told me there were gumshoes coming, I just didn’t realize that they’d be so…”

“Tall? Yes, I get that quite a lot.” Violet Blue turned down to her notepad. “Seems like a lot of work maintaining all these machines. They look pretty complicated.”

“They are. My dad designed a lot of them and there’s only a few people alive who can decipher the blueprints. Leading to my employment.” She gave a mock bow. “Though sometimes I wish he’d designed something a little more prestigious.” Marthia chuckled. “This is what Enith wanted I guess, she paid Dad well and let me tell you, the machines are very effective at what she asked for them to do.” She had a tinge of disdain in her voice as she looked over to the almost zombie-like gamblers shovelling coin into the slots. “But Enith pays me well, so I can’t object too much.” She turned her head back towards Violet Blue who had since finished her notes and was just listening intently to Marthia speak. Marthia’s cheeks blushed red.

“Have you noticed anything strange around here recently?” Violet Blue asked, cocking her head slightly.

“Not anything related to the disappearances, no.” She looked up as if she were thinking. “But there have been a series of folks watching me fix the machines. They pretend they’re not watching but I see them peeking. I just sit up and tell them to scram. That usually gets them gone.” She said with some mock spunk, giving a small punch to the air. “I try to report them, but Bastion usually can’t find them. Corporate spies I tell you.” She wagged a finger in jest, hoping to get a chuckle out of Violet Blue but only getting the same warm smile VB had held throughout their conversation. “That’s about all I’ve got though, apologies for making you come all the way over here.” She rubbed the back of her neck with a grease-stained hand.

“Not an issue at all! It was wonderful getting to meet you Marthia. Forgive me if this is forward, but I would love to have dinner with you tonight if you’re free.” Violet Blue said without a flap.

“Oh. Uh…” Marthia stammered a tad before catching herself. “Of course! I would love to! I set my own hours so I’m free whenever. I can even get us Hellcat tickets tonight if you’d like.” She said with a confident grin. 

“I’ve already got that covered.” Violet Blue mentioned casually, sending a nervous chuckle through Marthia before her demeanor drastically changed to a squint behind Violet Blue’s shoulder. 

“Hey. That guy there. The short blue one with the tweed jacket. The one sipping a drink and watching the gamblers. He’s one of the ones that’s been watching me.” Marthia whispered. 

“I think it’d be useful to ask him some questions,” VB said before pulling another cigarette from her hair. She began to march over to him with Marthia who rolled up her sleeves and followed in tow. 

* * *

Vera left Bastion’s office packing Sebastian back into her camera bag and pulling her collar back up. She noted that when she had a bit more proof she’d like to investigate Enith a bit more. Now, it was time to investigate some of the clientele here at the Darklight Grand. She leaned against a seemingly empty blackjack table and surveyed the floor. There were quite a few shady characters she recognized, either from research, past cases, and even from her days in Heaven’s Demons. She looked around the room, crossing off each suspect in her head using the details she gained from her insomniac research tangents before showing up for the case. One figure seemed more intriguing than the rest, a short figure, most likely a dwarf or gnome, with a white theatrical mask that was happy on both sides and shone in the blacklight of the casino. They were wearing a thick and gaudy robe, white with golden accents on the cuffs and collar. They had a different variety of folk holding onto his arms, most likely a harem of sorts. 

“Interested in the Masked Man huh?” a smiling voice said behind Vera making her jump. She turned and saw that her “unoccupied” table had held a small goblin in the dealer’s chair she had overlooked. The goblin was smiling with a twisted smile that showed off the dark and stained sharp teeth that were held within. “He always seems to have more room in that little ‘court’ of his, though I think you might be wearing a bit too much makeup for his taste.” The goblin continued with the same smile.

“I’m sorry, you must be mistaken,” Vera mumbled as she started to glance around. 

“Well, then the only other reason you’d have been casing this room so closely was if you were a thief or a gumshoe, and you don’t look like the thief type, wide eyes.”

“Okay, you’ve got my fucking attention. What do you want?” Vera whispered, annoyed. 

“What any dealer wants, doll.” He grinned again and stretched his hands over the table, spreading out cards effortlessly. “Business.” 

Vera sighed. “I’ll play your game, if only to keep your gums shut about this.” She turned back around to make sure there wasn’t anyone in close proximity and then looked back at the table. 

The goblin made a zipping-mouth motion to signify his silence and set up for blackjack. “I’m Pox and I’ll be your dealer today, need a light?” He said in a customer service voice. The jazz musicians were on stage close by, performing a dark rendition of “A Walk to the Peak.”

Vera shook her head. “As long as I’m here and you’ll keep your mouth shut, I’m gonna ask you a few questions.” She took out a few coins and flipped them onto the table. 

“Gumshoe it is then. Hit, detective.” Pox said without missing a beat. 

“You know anything about the disappearances around here?” 

Pox flipped over his first card, revealing an Ace of Clubs, and set his second card aside. “Can’t say I do, I officially don’t know about any disappearances, detective.” He passed Vera her cards, A 2 and 4 of Spades. 

“Unofficially?” Vera asked, looking over at the table next to her as the dealer swiped a series of chips into their own pocket. She looked at her cards and back at the other dealer. “Hit.”

“Well if I were to speculate, detective, I’d say they got what was coming to them.” He said with a tinge of bitterness. “Filthy card counters trying to run me out.” He said with a little frustration. He tossed another card onto Vera’s stack, a 3 of Spades. 

“Interesting,” Vera thought to herself. “If the disappearing gamblers were cheating, that makes Enith look that much more suspicious.” She looked at her measly stack, up to only 9. “Hit.”

Pox threw her another card, the 6 of Hearts. “That’s a tall stack you’re getting there detective. Sure you don’t want to stop now?” He said with that same wide, toothy grin. 

“Did you meet all the missing persons?” Vera asked, pulling a stick out of her cigarette box and holding it out to Pox while watching the Masked Man celebrate with his harem at the Craps table. 

The Goblin pulled out his lighter and lit the cigarette while Vera turned over to give it a few starting puffs. “Not all of them, no. Some were off busting another dealer’s balls. I do know that the ones I had here were card counters for sure. They had notebooks and everything.” 

“Hmm.” Vera let the smoke twist out of her nose as she contemplated. “You think the Masked Man has anything to do with the missing persons?” Vera took a deep inhalation of her cigarette before turning back to her cards “Hit.”

Pox tossed a third card, the 4 of Hearts. “Doubtful, he’s only been visiting here for a couple of months or so.” 

“So about the time the disappearances started then?” She looked at her cards. They scored 20 in total.

“I guess so?” Pox said before looking into Vera’s tired eyes and then back at her cards and smiling. “You don’t want to get ambitious detective. There’s only one way to get a better score. Hit or stay?” 

Vera wasn’t going to fall for the bait. “Thanks for the info Pox, keep quiet or I’ll have to tell Enith that she shouldn’t be hiring such gossipy dealers.” Vera squinted as Pox held up his hands in a mock “you got me” expression. She let out another puff before making her final decision. “Stay.” 

Pox’s grin became wider. “Good luck on your case detective. I’ll be here if you want any more of these truly wholesome conversations.” He reached over to his card and pointed at Vera, snapping her attention to him before flipping it. “Be careful out there detective. There’s a lot of powerful forces at play here. Before you do anything dense, remember,” He flipped over his card, revealing an Ace of Diamonds to beat her with a clean 21 and giving that same wide, twisted grin. “The house always wins.” 

* * *

Future looked at the time on one of the Darklight Grand’s intricate wall clocks. It was 3:30 and there was still about an hour and a half before she was supposed to meet Violet Blue near the lobby. She brushed her silvered claws through the lobby’s fountain as she swiped a room key out of a passing businessman’s pocket and began to walk up the stairs, her costume in tow under a suit protector. Once she climbed up to the next floor she looked down at the lobby beneath her. Everyone looked so small, so easy to pick off without anyone noticing. In a building like the Grand, no wonder disappearing was so easy. 

Future unlocked the door of a well-kept hotel room with a view of the strip’s boardwalk. Plenty of folks walked those streets, though not with any of the diversity of the Grand. She threw her costume onto a recliner in the corner of the room and flopped back onto the bed, sinking into the soft foam with a sigh of relief. It had been too long since she had been able to relax in a nice bed. It had been a tough month of sleeping in the office while business was slow. With a payout like this, she could afford 100 beds and a townhouse to go with them. 

She begrudgingly turned her head to see her costume, feeling tired just seeing it. Something caught her eye on the ground next to it though, an envelope. She heaved herself off the bed, stealing a blanket with her, as she bent down to pick up the envelope. It looked like it had been tucked into her costume. Based on the antler ensignia on the front, she could already tell who it was from. “Nothing gets by you, eh Glasshadow?” She joked to herself before flopping back onto the bed, wrapped in the comforter to read the letter. 

Second Floor. Bench by the broken ice machines. 4:00 P.M. 

CASUAL dress. No guests. 

\- N. 

She folded the letter back up, put it in the envelope, and shredded it with a deft, smooth movement from her claws. It had been a while since they’d been in contact, for good reason, but Future knew that if her FBI contact was involved, the case might’ve been even bigger than she thought. Future took a deep breath, laid the comforter back on the bed, and began to fancy up for her meeting. 

Future walked through the annals of the second floor with glamour on her way to the meeting spot, her slit and elegant dress swooshing behind her. The ice machines were in a secluded corner. There were cigarette butts scattered about the floor and gaudy, medieval decor ran across the walls. As she approached the bench she could see them already there, A well-muscled satyr woman with a suave black suit and unbuttoned undershirt. Future smiled. She had obviously tried to out-dress her with the “Casual dress” in the note. Too bad Future didn’t dress “Casual.”

“Future,” the Satyr said with a little shock before choking on her own excitement and continued, trying to play it down. “I thought I said ‘casual dress.’” 

Future sat down on the opposite side of the double bench without looking over at her. “You know I do not do casual, Nona. Though it looks like you didn’t get your own memo either.” Future smirked.

“Are you calling my suit fashionable?” Nona smugly joked in her Appalachian cadence and turned back to face the wall instead of Future behind her, swallowing some of her pride. “You look...well.” 

“As do you.”

There was a stale silence as each was pulled into their complicated past. Nona looked into the empty eyes of a suit of armor standing guard over the broken vending machines and started to speak.

“You know, I don’t even need an apolog-”

“Why don’t you just give me the info you have so I can go back to resting before my performance.” Future interrupted. 

Nona gave a short cough. “Yes. O-of course.” She pulled out a file and passed it over her shoulder to Future who gingerly grabbed it and started pulling out typewritten sheets. Nona switched to her exposition voice, the one she used frequently when debriefing her bosses at the FBI. “There was a very large spike in power usage from the Darklight Grand shortly before the disappearances started. Not only that, but a large amount of machinery has been filtering through the doors within the same time period. Seeing as there’s not a great new attraction being built anywhere around here, I can only assume there’s some sort of secret project going on. My...partner...was able to find out that the largest power readings were coming from below the first floor before she disappeared as well. Though, I cannot seem to find any way to access a sub-zero floor. I have no clue what this machine might be capable of, or who is even authorizing its creation, but I can tell you that our MK ULTRA unit has been taking a serious interest in the case due to the massive brainwave readings they are monitoring as well.”

Even though the news came as a shock to her, Future didn’t betray her calm demeanor. She watched the small flashing red light on the ice machine behind her reflectively blink on a mantle of decorative swords on the wall. “Why doesn’t the FBI just get involved themselves if this is such a big deal?”

“We don’t have any proof of wrongdoing, just some mysterious signals. Nothing illegal about that.” 

“I am sorry to hear about your partner as well. Were you two...close?” Future said, trying to cater a disaffected demeanor. 

Nona felt herself run hot as she blushed. “Uh, yeah. But nothing too serious. She was just helping me get through some...strong feelings I have -- had -- whatever.” Nona looked up, flustered. “Agent Eliza Bridger if you find her. She was good at clue hunting, I was better with people. I’d really appreciate help finding-”

“Your rebound girl?” Future said wryly.

“My friend,” Nona said with monotone frustration. 

“If you say so.” Future stood up and turned to Nona who still had her back to her. Future put her hand on Nona’s shoulder and leaned in towards her ear. “But I do know who you think of when you’re with her.” 

Nona turned around and grabbed Future’s wrist in a quick motion, bringing their faces close together. They both looked at each other intensely, Future smirking and Nona gritting her teeth before Nona dropped her wrist. “I don’t have time to play your fucking games.” 

She gave out a big sigh and turned around again.. “I’ve only got one lead to work off of right now, all my others have led to dead ends. I’d prefer to join you--all y’all--in the investigation just to make sure y’all do this right.” 

Future, satisfied in getting Nona worked up again, fixed her hair. “I get it. You can’t keep away from me.” Future gleefully watched Nona’s shoulders tense up. “So what’s your lead?”

“Insufferable,” Nona whispered under her breath. “There’s this dealer I’ve been tailing now. He seems to be marking a lot of the individuals who disappear. His close up magic will fuckin' blow your mind though. His quarter behind the ear trick-" Nona made a hand motion of her mind being blown and Future rolled her eyes. Nona chuckled and continued. "His name is-GAhaaHa” Nona quickly grabbed her head, grunting in pain for a moment before crouching down in a grimace.

Future scurried around the bench and crouched down next to Nona. “Nona. Nona! Look at me.” She lifted Nona’s chin and saw her pupils dilating and undilating rapidly. “Are you alright?”

Nona’s grimace faded as suddenly as this fit started. She uncurled from her crouch and stood up straight and stiffly over Future.

“What was that Nona? I thought you took care of your Krystelle issue years ago?” 

In jerky motions, Nona emotionlessly pulled a pistol from out of her jacket and pointed it straight at Future.

“Look Nona, you do not want to do anything drastic.” Future slowed stood and held her hands up as she glanced at the decorative swords on the wall across the corner from her.

*BANG* 

Future jumped behind the bench as a shot rang out through the corner towards where Future had been standing. She crawled over to the wall and reached for a longsword while Nona robotically repositioned herself, aiming again for Future. 

*BANG*

Future rolled out of the way again, this time gliding under the bench barely having grasped the sword. She saw Nona begin to kneel down to peek under the bench and took advantage of the opportunity. She slammed the butt of the sword into Nona’s face, sending her falling backward clutching her now bloody nose. Still, Nona made no vocalization, making the eerie silence of the fight rush through Future’s ears. 

Future glided back out from under the bench and rushed Nona before she could stand up again, landing in a straddle over Nona. Nona began to aim the gun towards Future before it was knocked out of her hands by Future’s elbow. 

“What the hells, Nona?! Don’t make me do something you’ll regret!” 

Still, Nona’s face showed no emotion as she instead reached towards Future’s throat. Future slammed the blade of the sword down next to Nona’s head, only narrowly missing because of the sheer power of Nona’s grip on her throat. Future struggled to pull the blade up and strike Nona again but couldn’t muster the strength. Future attempted to stand up but Nona flipped their position and slammed Future into the thinly carpeted floor. This time Nona sat on top of Future’s stomach as she stoically choked Future. Future grasped for Nona’s gun beside her, just out of reach, her fingertips just barely brushing the gun. Light fading from Future’s eyes, she looked back into Nona’s rapidly dilating eyes and scratched out with her claws at Nona’s face, leaving a pattern of gashes on the right side of Nona’s face. 

Nona finally loosened her grip momentarily to hold her head, giving Future a short moment to breathe. Future coughed hard as she looked over and reached for the gun again, this time pulling it into hand and pulling it up to point at Nona, who had since grabbed Future’s sword and was preparing to strike it down onto her. Future squirmed as Nona slammed the sword down, shattering the end of the blade on the stone floor beneath the carpet as Future fired next to Nona’s ear, missing her target, but causing Nona to reel back holding her ear and fell backward, slamming her head on the edge of the bench behind her. She lied still, unmoving.

Future took a moment to catch her breath, laying on her back clutching the gun tightly in her hand, and pieces of the sword shattered beside her. She wiped off the blood that had dripped onto her face and sat up in a bolt. 

“Nona?” She asked quietly, watching the Satyr’s body closely for any movement. “Nona? Are you alright?” Blood was oozing out of the cuts on her face, her nose, and her ear where Future had fired the gun. Future aimed the pistol at Nona as she carefully approached her body. “Nona? Do not scare me like this." She said with a faltering authority. "You’re not the one who is supposed to be playing pranks, Nona.” She said, eyes starting to irritate and crouching down to examine Nona’s injuries. “Nona!” She yelled, pulling her body close to rest her head on Future’s knees. Future looked at the blood on her claws and back to Nona’s face. “Why did you have to go all berzerk? What the hell, Nona?” She whispered, heat flushing up from behind her eyes. 

Nona coughed awake, her nose trickling out more blood. “Even when you kill me, you won’t be able to apologize, huh?” she wheezed, painfully bringing her hand up to Future’s face. “If I knew you were going to cry I would’ve stayed dead a little longer Futche.” She began to caress Future’s cheek before pulling the fur on Future’s face so that their eyes were inches apart. “What did you do to me?” She said with a weak intensity. 

Future swatted away Nona’s hand dismissively and lifted her head back up to see the mess they had made. “Nothing, though I think your MK ULTRA friends are onto something.” Future could hear footsteps rushing towards the corner, most likely Grand security. Future sighed. “You have a cover for this one, Agent Westphalen?” 

Nona sat up with a grimace and stood up with a grunt while holding the back of her head. “Yeah, let me take care of this.” 

Four Bugbears dressed in dark clothes rounded the corner and saw the two humbled figures.

“Security,” One declared. “Someone reported gunshots. You’re going to have to come with us, gals.” The others slowly surrounded the duo, feigning interest in the scene around them. 

“I think you’ve got us mixed. There was a big misunderstanding here. If you’d allow me to clear some things up, I think we can come to a...well-funded...agreement.” She said, approaching the Bugbear. Future watched out of the corner of her eye as one began reaching for a twisted looking gadget on their hip. In a fast motion, Future ducked down and swept the armed Bugbears legs, knocking them onto their back. As Future gave the signal, Nona rushed up and pulled their leader into a chicken wing before throwing him into another of their compatriots. Nona and Future came together where they had been wrestling minutes prior, standing back to back and prepared to fight the rest.

Future held her claws out by her sides, ready to slash. “Remember how we finished the job in Redhold?” She said, her eyes narrowing as the untouched Bugbear prepared to charge them. 

Nona held her fists up to the recovering Bugbears, looked over her shoulder at Future, and grinned. “How could I forget?”

* * *

“What do you think you’re doing, spying on my friend?” Violet Blue demanded, towering over the small Goblin in tweed. Marthia stood behind VB, hands on her hips in an attempt to look mad, but obviously distracted by Violet Blue’s intense defense of her. 

“Spying is such a demonstrative word. I’d like to call it studying.” the Goblin said casually in a subtle New England accent. 

“So you do work for another corporation!” Marthia shouted, stepping in front of VB with a pointed finger. 

The Goblin chuckled. “No. Sorry to disappoint. I’m just a humble professor at the College for Innovation.” He took off his small, rectangular glasses and started to wipe them with the end of his jacket. “Maybe I have been spying a little, but it’s only been for research purposes.” The duo looked unconvinced. He sighed and pulled out his notes to show them. “ I’m here with my students studying the longer-term effects of gambling and how to successfully create addiction in order to break it. We’ve had a deal with Bastion for the past few months as long as we run everything by him and slide him a bit of the grant money.” Marthia paged through the notes, checking for any of her family’s prized blueprints. “I even have a little competition with my gifted students to see if they can game the system and win big using their wits.” He chuckled. 

“So all those folks watching me were just...students?” She shook her head. “Still weird. Not a valid excuse.” 

“Fair. I apologize for not asking you. I realize it wasn’t very ethical, but I wanted to keep the smallest number of people in the loop so as not to affect our studies.” 

“I won’t do anything this time...mostly because I don’t know if there’s anything I _can_ do... but have your students ask before creeping on me, ‘kay? What was your name again, mate?” 

The Goblin leaned back onto the craps table he had been watching. “Of course, I’ll make sure we’re more polite in the future. I’m Professor of Psychology Bazon.”

“Well, Bazon, you still give me the jeepers, but you said you’ve been watching the casino for a few months now?” Marthia said, passing Bazon back his notes and looking back up at Violet Blue. Bazon nodded. “I think my friend here might find it useful to ask you some more questions then.” 

VB eyed Bazon wearily before pulling out her notepad. “Have you seen anything suspicious over the past few months you’ve been studying?”

“More than the normal illegal dealings and high profile criminals that visit here?” Bazon said with a wry smile. “No.”

“Then you haven’t heard anything about the recent...disappearances?” Violet Blue said, watching Bazon closely for a reaction. 

He stood up straight from his relaxed demeanor and leaned in close. “Is that what you’re investigating? I thought you were just some cop.” Violet Blue waited on him to continue. He cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’ve heard about the disappearances. I reported most of them! My students have been the majority of who’s gone missing,” He whispered. “Many of my most gifted students have just poofed out of existence. I have no idea what’s going on!” Bazon continued, still maintaining a hushed tone, but losing his cool. 

“It is alright, Bazon. My coworkers and I are good detectives. We’ll find your students.”

Bazon lit a cigarette and took a puff, letting the trombone solo on the jazz stage fill the silence. He looked off to the band. “I sure hope so.” 

Marthia snapped her fingers as if she was trying to remember something. “Did..?” She closed her eyes to think. “I think there was someone who I mentioned your students too when I thought they were just some average stalkers.” She opened her eyes and pointed at Bazon like she had an epiphany. “A dealer! He said just to direct them to his table if I had any trouble...Gods what was his name?” She looked up again to think before she grabbed her head suddenly with a gasp of pain. 

“Are you alright?” VB said with a frantic concern. “I have medicine on me if you need.” She quickly opened her satchel and pulled out a first aid kit. 

Marthia just as suddenly stood up straight. “No. I am alright. I just have to use the bathroom.” She said flatly. “Excuse me.” She said, already walking towards the back of the first floor. 

“O-okay,” Violet Blue stammered as her new friend walked away. She watched as Marthia walked stiffly and entered a room marked “out of order.” Violet Blue held out her hand for Bazon’s lighter and lit herself a cigarette while watching the door. She had a bad feeling about the whole situation, but couldn’t place it.

“Oh my gods,” Bazon murmured, putting his hand up to his head. “What if they want me too?” He asked VB frantically. 

VB’s gaze didn’t break from the bathroom. The band’s saxophone swelled around her as she exhaled a puff of smoke. “Don’t worry Professor,” She said, turning to look at the frazzled figure in tweed and pulling up her notepad. “Now, walk me through the disappearances.” 

* * *

Vera watched the Masked Man from afar taking a couple of pictures every now and again from different angles. She watched as he moved from table to table, winning at some, losing at more, but merry all the same. Sometimes he would be approached by a sly casino worker who would slip him a small package, some of which looked to most likely hold coin. It had been about an hour when the Masked Man finally started off the casinos’ floor and towards the lobby. He slipped one of the packages under the door to the security office and to the guards at the door before ushering in two Kobolds carrying a large piece of machinery Vera didn’t recognize. 

While the Kobolds carried the machinery towards the back of the casino floor, the Masked Man had started up the stairs. Vera made a quick decision and stealthily scampered up the stairs behind the Masked Man. She watched as he waltzed over to one of the suites, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. After he closed the door, Vera slid over to it. She glanced around to make sure there were no looky-loos and pulled out her lockpick kit from her camera bag. She put her ear to the door and could hear the sounds of heavy breathing on the other side.

“I’m sure he’s taken the mask off now, I just need a peek.” She thought as she slid the picks into the lock, trying to unlock the door as quietly as possible. After a laborious few minutes, Vera heard the successful click of the door unlocking and waited with bated breath with her ear to the door, praying that nobody noticed. Fortunately, it seemed nobody had. Vera pushed the door open just a smidge and peeked through, she could make out what was most likely an organized pleasure party, but the dim light and small viewing space didn't leave much to comprehend beyond that. She turned off the flash on her camera and stuck the lens through the crack.

*SNAP*

Vera cringed again, awaiting a shout to the door. It seemed that luck was on her side again, everyone was too enraptured in the others to hear her camera. She smiled and pulled the photo out of Sebastian. She let it fade in before cursing.

“Shit,” she whispered to herself. The light had been too dim to make out anything besides some silhouettes. She would have to get a picture with flash before leaving if she wanted any clue as to the Masked Man’s identity. Doing that would expose her for sure. She looked around the hallway for an easy escape route. The hallway was too long either way. She looked up to the ceiling and an idea rose up in her mind, bringing a grin to her face. 

There was a blinding flash from the door and the distinct snap of a camera inside the Masked Man’s suite.

“Press! Stop them!” He pushed bodies off of himself and sent them out to find who had taken the picture. He laid back on the bed, hands on his face. “Gods, is today the day?” He said frustrated. The door closed and locked with a slam. “Did you catch them?” He asked before sitting up. 

“Catch who, A.D. Warren?” Vera said inside the room. Hard knocking at the door could be heard as the folks he’d sent out were trapped outside in their skivvies. 

“Gods,” He moaned, flopping back onto his bed. “Who are you with? CBS? TMZ?” He gulped “I-I have a wife. I have kids. Please, I have secrets from the FBI I could leak! Just don’t release the photo.” He pleaded.

“Tempting, I’m sure the FBI is up to some shady shit.” Vera said cockily. “But I’m not here to talk about your infidelity. I want to know what the deal was with the handoffs downstairs.”

Warren’s face turned a ghostly white. “I-I have n-no idea what you are talking about.” He said unconvincingly.

“Shame,” Vera said sarcastically, turning back towards the door. “I wasn’t going to release the photo, but I’m sure someone will pay well for it. Who did you mention? TMZ?”

“FINE! Fine. I’ll spill.” Warren said desperately before moving into a quiet whisper. “Just don’t let anyone know I told you this.” Vera raised an eyebrow but still didn’t turn around. “I was just here casually a few months ago, but I got sucked in. I have a problem, that’s all. I just need to see a doctor and-” Vera let her revolver click as she held it up beside her, threatening him to continue. “Anyway, this guy --he wore a cloak so I didn’t get a good look at his face-- told me he could take care of my debts if I started using my position in small ways around the casino. All I do is redistribute payments I collect from messengers and I find more money in my account. Sometimes I mix up the FBI’s signals, sometimes I make sure a machine part gets let in, but I swear I don’t know anything past that!”

Vera stayed facing the door with her revolver held up. “Did this ‘guy’ have a name?”

Warren gulped again. “‘Rothstein’ he called himself.”

“Thank you, Assistant Director Warren. You will want to correct yourself if you have been lying to me.” She held up the photo. “If I need anything else I trust you’ll be available,” Vera said as she unclicked the revolver and slid it back into her trench coat. She started towards the door “I trust your amorous connections won’t be an issue?” He nodded vigorously. She reached for the door handle before Warren called out at her one more time. 

“Y-you won’t send out that photo, right?”

Vera ignored him as she closed the door and walked past the half-naked folks who rushed in to check on Warren. She pulled out the picture of Warren and company and considered its worth. This was why she worked alone. The others probably hadn’t found anything of value, meanwhile, Vera felt she was close to cracking the case all by herself. 

She pulled up her collar again and checked Sebastian. “Only one picture left.” She mumbled to herself before checking her camera bag for more film. She would need more to gather enough evidence for her case. She stopped as she frustratedly searched for one of the spare film stacks she always brought before remembering what happened last time she had thought she lost her film. 

“ _Future_ ,” She griped with gritted teeth.

* * *

The last thing Harry the Bugbear remembered before waking up again was that Tabaxi’s heel in his face. He stirred awake and when he tried to move, found he was bound to the bench with the rest of his cohorts. They look just as beat up as he felt. His head throbbed and he looked up at the two figures in front of him.

“What should we do with them, Future?” Nona said, almost theatrically, as she stood tall with her arms crossed above the Bugbear. 

“I do not know Nona, but they are most surely not security guards.” Future said without looking down at him. 

“Hmmm.” Nona over-vocalized with a smile. “If that’s the case, I’m sure nobody would notice if they...disappeared.” She smirked over at Future.

“That would definitely solve our little problem.” Future continued, feigning disinterest in the whole situation.

“S-stop that. I-I know what you’re doing.” The Bugbear said shakily. 

Future’s head snapped over to Harry. “Do you?” She grabbed his chin in her steely claws, scanning his eyes like she was examining jewelry. She turned his head to the Bugbear tied next to him, featuring a series of large slashes on their face. “Look at your friend.” She snapped his chin back toward herself. “Now look at me. Look at your friend. Look at me.” She let go of his chin and instead lifted it with one silvered claw. “You do not want to end up like your friend there. They will always remember the time they crossed me. You may escape luckier.” Future continued with a face of disgust. “Tell us who sent you.” She let go of his chin and turned to wipe her claws with the handkerchief Nona held out to her. 

Harry looked at his friend, distressed, and then back at Future and contemplated for a short time. “We-” He choked up a bit. “We were hired by R-Rothstein. All he told us was to bring you to him, dead or alive.”

“What does this ‘Rothstein’ look like?” Nona asked in her Southern tone, taking her handkerchief back from Future and tucking it half haphazardly into her jacket.

“He wears tall dark robes, so I can’t tell you more.” He looked up and moaned. “He’s going to kill me for this,” He cried before choking up again. 

Future turned and held her claws up to her face. “Maybe. But it is us you should worry about right now, _camarade_.”

Nona glared at Future and looked the Bugbear in the eyes to speak gently, “We can protect you if you let us. I’m with the FBI.” She pulled out her ID to show him and tucked it back in. Future rolled her eyes and scoffed before Nona scolded her. “What does Rothstein want?”

“You can’t protect me. You can’t stop him! He already has so many people, so much power.” The Bugbear smiled and tears started streaming down his face. “But he’ll save us, uplift us from our downtrodden and undeserved suffering. The Dwarves, the Humans, they’ve had their time. Rothstein will-” The Bugbear’s head suddenly rolled back, wracked in pain.

Nona tried to steady his head and looked into his eyes, seeing the same rapid pupil dilation Future had described to her earlier. “No, no, no! Stay with me!” 

Future turned around and watched with concern as the rest of the Bugbears started screeching in agony. “Keep them tied down!” 

“They’re not going anywhere Future, but they’re obviously in pain!” The screeching continued, though the duo watched as blood started trickling from the ears of their potential informants. “I can’t do anything! What do we do? They’re dying!” Nona shouted as she frantically tried to hold the heads of the Bugbears still. Future stood back, her face a mix of fright and pity. The screeching started to subside as, one by one, the heads of the Bugbears slumped over. Nona continued to check the vitals of the Bugbears and attempted to wake them up. “We have to untie them. Give them CPR. Godammit! We have to do _something_!”

Future gently pulled Nona back. “There’s nothing we can do, Nona. It is over.” They both stood, the whole corner a mess of broken furniture, machine, and blood pooling on the floor. Future looked over and saw her antlered friend kneeling in front of the Bugbears again. Future said softly, “It’s okay. They were just goons, Nona.” 

“They were _people_ , Future. Like you and me. Based on the manifesto that last one was spewing off, I’d assume it was labels like that that led these poor saps into this mess.” Nona shook her head in a disappointed disgust. “But I get it, they’re dead. There has to be something else here though, otherwise, why wouldn’t this have happened to either of us?” 

“Maybe we are just a little too strong-willed?” Future sniffed at her own morbid joke, getting only a glare from Nona. “Well, maybe just me.” 

Nona was distracted from scolding Future by something glinting in the Bugbear’s ear. She looked at the others to see if there was a match, and sure enough, there seemed to be that same glint in the rest of the Bugbears’ ears as well. Nona began to reach into the bloody ear of Harry with two fingers, eliciting a disgusted scoff from Future. 

“I hope that was something useful and not just a morbid trophy.” Future grimaced.

Nona held up a small, wired earpiece that seemed to have been embedded in the Bugbear’s head. She put it up to the dim hall lighting to examine it closer and Future came up behind her to view it as well. Nona squinted to see microchips and other complex nodes in the exposed parts of the small implant. “We need to find your friends.” 

* * *

Vera frustratedly returned to the spot in front of the main floor’s fountain where the group had split off hoping to find Future and her film. There, she saw Violet Blue sitting patiently next to a nervous blue goblin in a large tweed jacket. Vera marched up to her partner.

“Where’s Future.” She grumbled, a command more than a question.

“She left us a note, friend Vera. Said she was meeting Nona again for some information. She should be back any minute now.” 

Vera raised a finger to correct her that her name was _Rose_ in the lobby, but was too distracted to continue the thought. “Nona?” Vera asked quietly to herself, before escalating into an intense whisper. “Nona?! The FBI broad?” 

“Most likely. Why? Is something wrong Vera?”

Vera gave a frustrated laugh and turned away. “Of course there’s something wrong! I just caught Assistant Director Warren red-handed with some malarkey in this case!”

“...And who is that?” Violet Blue asked, cocking her head slightly.

Vera’s wide eyes started to get more frantic as she paced the tiles in front of VB. “Assistant Director Warren? Works for the FBI? Nona and her partner’s boss?”

“...How do you know all that, Vera?” VB asked with her patented inquisitiveness. 

Vera stopped pacing. “Uh...research. Either way, Nona is not to be trusted, especially around Future!”

“I’ve never really trusted the FBI Vera, but I’m sure Future can take care of herself. We always split off and you only ever get this way when Nona pops up.” 

“But this time’s different! If Nona’s boss is evil ten it’s only a matter of time before Nona tricks Future with her...Fey...wiles...or something!” 

“You hear that Futche? Vera thinks I have wile,” Nona joked as she strode up past the flushed Vera and sat down on the fountain’s edge with a pained grunt. 

Future put her hand on Vera’s shoulder and softly mentioned as she came past as well, “It is okay just to say you are jealous, Vera,” before standing beside her, creating a circle between the group.

Nona pointed at the Professor who had been silent up until this point. “Who’s the square? New hire?” 

Violet Blue warmly responded. “Hey, Nona! Nice to see you again! This is Professor Bazon from the College of Innovation. Many of his students have been amongst the disappearances.” 

Nona gave an affectionate bump to VB’s shoulder before Vera coughed and chimed in. “Yeah. Hey Nona. As long as we’re debriefing, can you give me my film back Future?” Future pulled the film stack out of her brasserie and tossed it to Vera with a wink. Vera’s make up had started to fade off and her blushing was getting more and more noticeable. She cleared her throat and continued. “Anyways, I found out that a lot of the disappearances also were on winning streaks using card counting and other cheats,” 

“Oh, my poor students! I knew they were doing disproportionately well in our competition.” Bazon moaned as he hung his head.

Future chimed in. “That is interesting with what I found. According to security, all of the disappearances who were gambling had cashed their winnings before going missing. Though I haven’t heard of any money found anywhere.” 

Nona pointed excitedly at Future. “And if we incorporate the mind control into all of this, then that all tracks! Someone must be kidnapping these folks and their funds!” 

Future nodded. “But where are they going? I checked the tapes I took from the security office earlier, none of the disappearances left out of the lobby doors.” 

Vera looked between Nona and Future suspiciously. “Hold up. Mind control? I thought you called _me_ the paranoid one.”

Nona pulled the file she had given to Future earlier out of her jacket. It was beat up and speckled with blood. “Here. I’m sure you’re familiar with our report layout?” 

The group took a breath while Vera paged through the file’s contents. “Wait. _MK ULTRA_ is interested in this?! What the hell?” 

“This seems like something we should leave to the higher authorities, guys.” Violet Blue quietly added, still a little in disbelief. 

“No. Enith asked _us_ to solve this case and we’ve invested too much into this to stop.” Future snapped.

“Besides, I don’t think the FBI can move fast enough on this. Whatever’s happening, they're getting sloppy. That means they must be finishing their plan soon.” Nona posited. 

“So it’s up to us.” VB whispered, causing a silence among the group. 

Vera broke the silence. “What else do we know?”

Nona started, “The figure leading this whole shindig, their name is-”

“Rothstein.” Vera finished. “Yeah, I got that from your boss,” Vera smirked at Nona, who’s tired eyes squinted at Vera.

“What do you mean?” 

“‘I mean’ Assistant Director Warren is that Masked Man who was prancing around the casino, paying off various employees as a middle man for Rothstein in exchange for his hedonistic lifestyle here. Says he was throwing a wrench in other FBI investigations too.” Vera looked triumphantly at Nona, who just sat tired and bruised.

“...That two-faced, treasonous…” Nona mumbled. “Eliza would be here if it wasn’t for him. He assigned her here knowing the risks, and probably offering the both of us to whatever..scheme..is going on here..” Her eyes filled with a burning anger that almost made Vera regret her comments. Almost. 

Vera tucked her hands in her jacket pockets and looked away. “I didn’t realize you guys were...close. Sorry.” Vera half-mumbled. “But I’ve got pictures here of both Warren and his ‘harem’ and the security team he paid off to let some Kobolds carry in some sort of machinery.”

Future pointed at one of the photos. “That’s Glasshadow’s office. Of course that worm is on the payroll,” 

So we visit Glasshadow then?” Violet Blue asked earnestly, diligently taking notes of the conversation.

“Well, there’s also Enith.” Vera said with a pondering tone. “She would have a good motive for taking out cheaters and keeping their winnings, though I don’t know why she’d have to pay off her own security. Either way, I think she knows more than she’s letting on.” 

“So Glasshadow and Enith. Sounds like a job for the buddy system!” Violet Blue said excitedly. Everyone rolled their eyes. “Future and Vera,” VB overemphasized, winking to Vera. “Why don’t you two go see-”

“Enith,” Future said with a dismissive air of cool. “I never want to see that eel Glasshadow again if I can help it.” 

“Of course. So Nona and I can check in with him then! Everyone will get some good...bonding time!” She looked over at Vera again who blushed painfully. “Sound good team?” 

Bazon raised his hand. “What about me?” 

“You just stay here Professor! We’re just over at the security office if you need any help.” Bazon shifted uncomfortably but sat down on the fountain’s edge again nonetheless. “We’ll meet back here in a half hour, okay friends? Everyone break on three! One...two...three…”

“Prophecy Investigations: Results are in Our Future,” Everyone half heartedly mumbled besides Violet Blue , yet at different speeds. This made the whole cheer a cacophonous mess, but cheered up VB all the same. 

* * *

Vera and Future silently reached the top of the stairs for the floor with Enith’s office and started walking through the empty hallway to her door. They could hear some more jazz musicians playing farther down another hall on the same floor. 

“You really don’t have to worry about Nona, Vera.”

“Yeah,” She grinned. “Looks like someone already gave her the Broderick.” 

Future stopped and grabbed Vera’s wrist. “No, I mean. Things between her and me are so... complicated now, we’ll never be settled long enough to…” 

“Be steady? I could tell as much. She’s bad for you, Future.” Vera said sourly without looking back. 

Future gave a bitter chuckle. “That’s an interpretation.” She pulled Vera's wrist, tugging her around into a slow dance to the jazz filtering through the hallway. “So like I said, no need to worry. We’re a bad match, me and her. We’ve fought for too long. I think it’s about time I change pace.” Future said, slowly spinning Vera to the tune of the slow trumpet.

“So I’m your rebound dame?” Vera asked pointedly, squinting as the pair swayed in the hallway.

“Does it change that you want me?” Future whispered into her ear. Future’s face brushed past Vera’s cheek as they locked eyes. Future spun Vera Their foreheads touched, bodies swaying to the beat of Twin Peaks. Vera felt her head lifting, bringing her lips closer to Future’s until they were brushing. 

Vera stopped short, letting their lips stick while they danced. She had wanted this for so long, but now felt conflicted. Why? Why did Future have to be so damn…

“Bird incoming.” Future said as she grabbed Vera’s shoulders and pulled her around a corner, obscuring them from the hallway’s dim light as a security officer wandered along past them. Future turned back around the corner towards Enith’s office again. Vera stood behind the corner, lamenting her hesitation during their dance. So badly did she want to be back, swaying again. Future peered back and grabbed her wrist again.

“Are you coming?” She said with an edge of frustration. Vera took a breath, pulled her hand back and crouched in pursuit. They came all the way up to Enith’s door this time, Vera pulling out her tools. She put her ear to the door, making sure there wasn't even the tap of a quill. “I’ve got this,” Future said smugly, gingerly patting era’s hands down away from the lock. She stuck her silvered claw in the mechanism, causing it to click twice before creaking open. “After you,” She gestured inside the door with her patented Future grin. Vera slided in, still not fully recovered from their flirtation. Future crawled in behind her. 

Inside was the same rough and tumble office they had seen before, though seemingly much bigger without the towering figure of Enith Shattercry standing at her desk. 

“Quickly, root around in the drawers _carefully_. I’ll check these shelves and cabinets.” Vera instructed, recovering about from the intense few moments before. Vera scanned the shelves, finding books about the great adventuring days of olde and business how-tos, but not much else. The cabinets didn’t seem to turn up much either besides the occasional ledger of underground dealings that didn’t connect to the case. 

“Vera, I think I found something.” Future whispered in an urgent tone, before smiling and holding up the expensive bottle of scotch Enith had shared earlier. Vera rolled her eyes. 

“Did you find anything else?”

“Nothing relevant, I think your hunch might’ve been off.” Vera felt off still. There was something she had a hunch about in the conversation she had earlier, but if it wasn’t Enith what was it?

Large footsteps rang through the hall, getting closer to the office. The detectives froze, hoping they would pass by. Instead the door opened, flooding light into the room, except for the shadow silhouette of Enith Shattercry. 

“I hope this isn’t part of another case detectives.” She said with a tinge of anger. “It’s unprofessional to double-book.” She flicked the light on, letting the light flood onto her muscular frame. 

Future stood up straight, attempting to smooth talk. “Apologies Enith, we were just-”

“Breaking into my office? I understand if you considered me a suspect of the disappearances in my own establishment, but you could at least have the decency to ask.” She huffed as she closed the office door behind her. “You’re lucky I still find your spunk amusing, otherwise it would be some other detectives making 200 grand in coin. As long as you’re here, tell me what you’ve found so far.”

The detectives sat across from her desk and recounted what they had discovered in their meeting downstairs. 

“Mind control, huh?” She sat down at her desk chair and started chewing on a pen. “And they know you know.” 

“You are not concerned with the infectivity of your security team?” Future asked, puzzled.

“I purposely hire people I know won’t be heroes. Folks who will let things slide. That’s the vibe here, remember? Though, this does seem like something a little shadier than the usually shady business.” Enith leaned back in her chair to think, causing it to creak. “Though who did you say the dealer was who called out the card counters?”

“Pox,” Vera answered.

“Yeah that can’t be right. I fired that Goblin months ago. You must be thinking of Porter. Easy to get the two mixed, I-”

“It was definitely Pox.” Vera interjected. “And if that’s true, I think we might have our next lead.” 

* * *

“I am surprised you knew the cheer Nona,” Violet Blue mentioned as the duo began walking to the security office. “Good surprised.” She smiled warmly. 

“Yeah, well, I’ve joined you guys enough times. It’s never tough when there’s someone as enthusiastic as you in the mix Violet Blue.” Nona said, attempting to match VB’s own sweetness level. Violet Blue blushed and smiled. “They need your heart more than they could know, kid.” Nona said, smiling back. 

“Don’t call me ‘kid.’” Violet Blue said patiently. “You and Future doing okay? I can see her claw marks in your face,” VB pointed. Nona snapped her hand up to where the claw marks were and winced, pulling away slightly bloody fingertips. 

“Is that what that feeling is?” She wiped her hand on her jacket and shook her head. “I don’t think so. I just want to power through my conflictions, but then I’ll just be a wreck again. She’s not healthy for me. For Vera. For anyone I think. But she’s just so goddamn magnetic I…”

“What, Nona?” VB asked curiously. 

“We’re here.” Nona said as she reached out her hand to knock on the door. Violet Blue looked dissatisfied but let it go. “Throll Glasshadow? We are the detectives Enith sent. We have a few more questions for you.” 

There was no answer. Nona knocked again.

“Throll? You in there? It’s Nona. We talked after Eliza disappeared.” VB raised an eyebrow at Nona and Nona rolled her eyes back at her. 

Still no answer. Violet Blue stepped forward.

“Mr. Glasshadow? We only want to talk.” Nona looked down at their feet and spotted something slick near the bottom of the door. She crouched down to examine it. 

“VB, down here.” She whispered. The Firbolg crouched beside her. “Specks of blood, fresh.” Nona stood back up and pounded on the door. “Throll? I’m breaching the door! Stand back if you can!” Nona backed up and gestured VB to move out of the doorway. 

The door cracked and fell open in shards of painted wood. Nona and VB quickly stepped in to observe the scene. Lying at the makeup counter was Throll Glasshadow, one of the Grand’s decorative longswords stuck through his back, and a note pinned in between the blade and his back.

“Oh…” Violet Blue uttered, still fresh to finding bodies on the job. 

Nona pulled the note off Glasshadow’s back to read it closely.

Don’t be a hero. 

\- Rothstein

Nona scoffed. “Threats. That means we’re close.” She bent down to Throll’s face and lifted Glasshadow’s yellow lenses to close his eyes with her fingers. “Rest well.”

Violet Blue was still staring at the body before the flickering lights of the scrying glass caught her attention. Still in a bit of shock she walked over to check on the screens. 

“What the hell did you do Throll?” Nona asked to the corpse, lifting his head to view what he had been working on. There were only torn out pages of a notebook. Nona picked up the notebook and pencil to attempt a rubbing to no avail. She checked Glasshadow’s person for any clues next, hitting something hard and plastic in his vest, a cassette. “Bingo.” Nona said to herself. “He may have been insufferable, but at least he was trying to do the right thing in the end.” She said, turning to see Violet Blue absorbed in the screens. “How much you wanna bet this is the disappearances on tape?” She grinned holding up the tape but garnered no attention from her friend. Suddenly a noise from the corner of the room startled both the detectives.

*Squawk* “ _Bazon!_ ” *Squawk*

VB turned around and instantly rushed toward the noise. She knew a bird when she heard one. She reached the corner of the room and found a cage covered in a sheet. She opened it to let the yellow parrot Future had met out. “Oh no, Nona! I think this poor bird was in here when Throll was killed!” 

Nona pulled out a cigarette, tapped it on her box, and looked at Glassadow’s impaled figure. “Yeah,” She lit it and took a puff. “Poor bird.” She plugged the tape into one of the players next to the scrying glasses and started watching while taking drags from her cigarette.

Violet Blue nuzzled the parrot. “Don’t worry little friend. I’ll keep you safe! What should I call you?” She said in a baby-talk voice.

Nona watched as folks from various casino tables grasped their heads and proceeded to walk jerkily to a bathroom marked “out of order” in the back of the casino, many after visiting the same goblin dealer. Nona fast-forwarded as she watched the same sequence happen over and over to different folks; headache, bathroom, gone, repeat. A goblin or bugbear would come back out of the bathroom with their chips, presumably to cash them out. She also watched as Throll’s edited tape showed various Kobolds hauling machinery into the same bathroom. Nona dropped her fresh cigarette and snuffed it out, “I know where they’re going,” she mumbled to herself. “I know where Eliza is.” 

*Squawk* “ _Bazon!_ ” *Squawk*

“Bazon? That name’s already taken, friend! How about another!” 

“Wait, did the bird just say Bazon?” Nona said, her head perking up from the screen frantically. She deftly ejected the tape and tucked it into her jacket. “Like your professor friend?” 

“Yes, Why?” 

“We have to go find him quick.” Nona checked the scrying glass over the fountain and saw the blue figure just disappear out of frame. “Damn.” She cursed, rushing out the broken door. “Come on Violet Blue, the clock is ticking!”

*Squawk* “ _Clock!_ ” *Squawk*

Violet Blue gasped. “Clock is the perfect name, new friend! Let’s get you out of this bloody office,” She glanced one last time at the morbid scene before guiding Clock onto her shoulder and rushing out behind Nona. “We have a Goblin to save.”

* * *

Both pairs rushed to the fountain at the same time.

“The Professor!” Nona shouted as she pointed forward at Bazon, whose jerky march was leading him close to the bathroom. Fortunately, his distinct blue hue made him easier to spot amongst the casino crowd beginning to swallow him up. The quartet moved as one, bolting into the crowd so as not to lose him. 

Vera eyed Pox at the back of the floor, next to a bathroom marked “out of order” she pointed and reached her finger out to point him out but was interrupted by Nona before they hit the mass of people. 

“He’s going to that broken bathroom. Don’t lose him! I’ll see you there!” Nona shouted just as the group was separated trying to barge through the crowded floor. Violet Blue used her height to keep track of Bazon as she was slowed down by folks who had spilled their drinks. Nona charged through before reaggravating her injuries from before after bumping on of the dealer’s tables she hadn’t seen. Future attempted to duck and weave between folks before momentarily losing her focus on Bazon, remerging repeatedly to keep track. Vera saw folks closing in around her. She didn’t have the agility Future had, the strength Nona had, or the height VB had. She made a grave calculation before reaching into her camera bag for the tool she thought would work best. 

*BANG*

Casino-goers scattered as Vera held her revolver aloft, breathing heavily before snapping herself out of her post-shot trance and rushed toward Bazon with her path momentarily unhindered.; It would be microseconds before the crowd became a stampede, but she took advantage, hopping on one of the roulette tables. Her partners, momentarily shocked as well, watched as Vera led the charge and followed suit. They reached the bathroom door moments after Bazon had entered, Pox sliding in behind him. 

“Th-that’s where Marthia went…” Violet Blue murmured, putting the pieces together. She tried the door handle, but the door didn’t give. 

“Stand back y’all,” Nona said, gesturing everyone out of the way. She approached the door to kick it but suddenly stopped, clutching her side. “Not mind control!” She shouted. “I-I don’t know if I can bust this-”

Vera began to pull out her tools, but Future bent down to Nona as she knelt. “Don’t consider this a sign of anything,” She whispered, pulling Nona’s chin up with a claw and giving her a deep kiss. Nona reached up to hold Future’s face again, this time sweetly. Her fingertips brushed Future’s fur before Future quickly pulled away from Nona. “Now smash the fucking door.”

Nona jumped up and gave a second running start at the door, causing a frustrated and distressed Vera to quickly roll away. The other side of the door gave way easily as Nona’s muscular frame smashed through, scattering wood chips all over the water-stained tile floor. The room was a bathroom for sure, featuring gutted stalls and old, crusty sinks. Inside Pox stood, a cigar sticking out of his twisted grin and holding a shotgun to the detectives. Nona lay on the floor, clutching her various injuries and gasping as the others marched in. 

“You’re too late detectives,” He said, bearing every sharp tooth in his too-full mouth. “Rothstein's plan is coming to fruition.”

“Where’s the professor, Pox?” Vera said, her hand slowly reaching back into her bag for her own revolver. 

“Doesn’t matter, you’ll be joining him soon, kids.” He pulled the iron sight up to his eye, getting ready to fire. 

“I’m not a KID!” Violet Blue shouted, taking everyone off guard as she threw her spiral-bound notebook at Pox’s head, causing him to flinch and fire.

*BLAM*

Ceiling tile sprinkled down as the shot went into the ceiling. The group rushed Pox as he desperately attempted to reload the shotgun. Violet Blue slammed her tall body into Pox, causing the shotgun to fall to his side before Future kicked it away. Nona slowly stood up and held the shotgun to Pox on the ground.

Future stepped forward amongst the rest. “Where. The fuck. Is the professor?” 

“He’s taking a vacation. I saw him take his winnings and leave.” He said with a toothy grin before Nona slammed his face with the butt of the shotgun.

“I will not ask again.” Future said, bending down over the Goblin.

Pox spit out a tooth and blood and saliva dribbled down his chin. “Rothstein will already be sapping him of his brain power as we speak. I’m already dead anyway.” He said pointing at a shining chip in his ear. “Rothstein will make it so all of us on the bottom finally get our chance on top. Look at yourselves! Outcasts among the hierarchical world of Humans and Dwarves! Rothstein can use strong-willed folks like you!” The group stared down at Pox pitifully and Future looked toward her claws and back at Pox. He started laughing to cope. “O-or I could give you the same chips I used on the Professor and your friend!” He pointed at Nona, who raised an eyebrow before reaching up to her bloodied ear and pulling out a shorted chip. 

“Knew I shouldn’t have let that guy do the coin-behind-my-ear trick,” Nona grumbled before reaiming the gun.

“You know what it’s like, not to have to feel! They’re in bliss right now! Rothstein is doing them a favor!” He started laughing a little more unsettlingly as Future grabbed him by the cheeks. 

“Pitiful.” Pox began laughing more before his laughs mixed with screams of pain as Future’s claws dug slowly and deeply into his skull. The detectives watched in horror as Future dug her claws in until Pox gave a weak garble and went limp. Everyone stood in silence as Future calmly took Nona’s handkerchief out of her suit jacket and began to wipe her claws off. Future began to look around the bathroom for clues as to the professor’s whereabouts as the rest stood, frozen over Pox’s corpse. 

“Come on, there must be a secret passage or something here.” Future said, testing the sink handles. 

“What the hell, Future.” Nona mumbled, still overwhelmed. “W-why?”

“He was going to die anyway. I did him a favor.” She said casually, not looking up from the sink.

“Future, that wasn’t a favor. What you did was twisted, whether he was wrong or not.” Violet Blue said, turning to put her hand on Future’s shoulder. 

“Well it is done, we can discuss semantics about it later.” Future grouched, moving to the other sink. 

“I think she enjoyed it.” Nona whispered to herself. “I think you enjoyed it!” Nona shouted, turning toward Future. 

Future snapped over to the group. “And if I did? Would it matter now that we’re solving the case? You all will love me no matter what,” She looked over to Vera, who had turned toward her as well. Vera’s eyes were wide with a mix of terror and rage, beginning to well up with the start of tears. She looked down to avoid eye contact with Future before pulling her sleeve up to wipe her eyes. “Isn’t that right?” Future scoffed and walked over to a stall. “Amateurs.” 

“Fuck!” Nona huffed as she punched the wall, immediately groaning at straining her side again.

Violet Blue leaned over the sink and held Clock, trying to console him. “It’s okay Clock, it’s over for now,” she whispered, reaching a finger to pet the parrot. 

Vera leaned back against the wall of the bathroom next to Pox’s bloody body, stuck in an eternal grin of mania. She sniffled and took a deep breath out. Nothing would ever matter to Future besides her own interests. Vera saw this now, and she hated this hurt that came with it.

Future flushed the back stall, the door presenting a lone piece of ripped paper saying “do not use; will overflow.” The tiled back wall of the bathroom suddenly slid open, revealing a well-decorated elevator with red shag and black accents. Future gave a snort of triumph before hopping onto the gaudy couch in the elevator. The rest of the detectives stood at the elevator’s doorway, in various forms of frustration and anger. “Do I have to finish this mystery all alone?” She asked the trio with a tinge of frustration. Violet Blue stepped in first, hanging her head down while holding Clock and mumbling to him. Nona stepped in behind her, her arms crossed and avoiding eye contact with Future. Vera was last, pausing significantly before making tearful eye contact with Future again, who smirked as she entered the elevator shortly after. Nona pushed one of the two buttons in the elevator, signaling down, before the doors closed, leaving three tense, standing detectives and one lounging descending down. 

“Could really use that chip right about now,” Nona joked bitterly, causing a small snort from Vera. Nona lifted the shotgun to her shoulder as the elevator prepared to stop. “Be ready, there’s some big shit going on here.” Prophecy Investigations readied themselves for an ambush behind the doors as they slowly opened almost silently.

The ragtag crew saw two Kobolds with their backs to them, sharing headphones as they listened to a portable walkman. 

“Hell yeah! Good pick Boris! I love Hellcat! Classic stuff.”

“I hear she’s performing upstairs tonight! Maybe we can convince the boss to let us sneak up for once? _Please_ , Valkiss?” 

“Doubt it. I-”

Nona punched the butt of the shotgun into Boris's head before Vera did the same with her revolver to the other, knocking them both out cold. Nona and Vera gave each other a nod of respect. The rest of the team followed suit as the group snuck down the long hallway in front of them. As they ventured down the hall, they peaked into rooms with scrying glasses not just watching the casino, but government offices around the United Empire. Vera shuddered at the implications. The group could hear shouting as they neared the end of the hallway. 

“Boris and Valkiss aren’t responding! I lost visual on Pox! What the hell is going on up there, Micha?” A hooded figure shouted at a human. “If you want to keep your standing in the New World, you’re going to have to get this shit together!” Vera closed her eyes as she thought the voice sounded familiar. 

“Of course Rothstein. I’ll go check on them right away!” Future gestured the group against the wall, into the shadows of the hallway before Micha began to head down the hallway. She made brief eye contact with Micha as he passed before silently pouncing on him and gesturing to Nona to slam her shotgun again. They pulled his body into one of the side rooms before regaining their position in the hallway to listen to Rothstein. Vera glanced around the corner and Rothstein was shrouded in a deep red robe, standing over a railing overlooking a series of tables, each holding one of the missing people with wires connected to their skulls. The sheer number of folks surprised Vera. There must have been a couple hundred, far more than just the Darklight’s reported disappearances. There seemed to be plenty of diversity amongst the victims as well, with so many Goblins she almost missed the professor. She saw Bazon wired in the closest table and ducked back behind the corner to tell her compatriots. Nona gestured a plan using her fingers, wincing as she made some of the movements. Violet blue pulled out a salve to rub on her while they all awaited their moment.

Rothstein looked off over his grand collection of minds. He had enough brainpower now for even the strongest minds in the farthest reaches of the United Empire. Soon, the uprising would begin. If only he’d hired more competent henchman. The coin coming in from the kidnappings only went so far. “Micha, where are you?” He turned, his long robe sweeping around him as he stepped towards the hallway. A boot met his face, throwing back his hood. 

“Freeze Bastion!” Vera shouted, swinging from the top of the corridor, her trench coat trailing as she landed in a three-point stance. “Prophecy Investigations has found you guilty!”

Bastion pulled his hood back up to cover his wooden face, his oaken lips and dark black lenses twisted in rage. “It’s Rothstein! And I won’t have your silly detective games ruin my plan! I will free my people! We will earn our freedom if we have to rip it out of the Humans’ cold, dead maws!” 

Nona speared him to the ground, knocking his hood back again. She grunted as she stood up, holding her side again. “Freedom isn’t the word I would use.”

Rothstein backed up, crawling to the railing he had stood over so proudly before. “No one _agrees_ to revolution! You all know what they have done to us. Passed laws to make us slaves! How can you stand for that?” He seethed.

Violet Blue stepped out onto the platform outside of the hall. “We don’t. But I don’t think that’s your main concern.” She gestured to the various Goblins, Bugbears, and others on the tables.

“All willing sacrifices for my plan to bring eternal glory! We will reign as they have over us for so long!” Rothstein shouted, pulling himself up using the railing. “The Forged Laws only succeeded in fueling my ascent!” 

He began to reach for a computer nearer to the edge of the platform before his hand was swiped away by a bundle of silver claws, leaving deep scratches in his oaken hand. She perched over him on top of the railing. “I understand your goals, truly. Though you must understand, they are between me and my paycheck,” Future said with mock pity as she surrounded Bastion with the rest of her party. 

Violet Blue chimed in with a sorrowful look on her face. “You hold so much pain and hatred, Bastion. I wish you would have told us.” He swiped up with a fist, in a feral anger, missing before being pushed back by Nona. “There’s ways to work inside the system. Enith offered you a great position to campaign!” Nona winced as Violet Blue said that.

“You’re telling me to be grateful with my position? As a second class citizen?! How do I ‘campaign’ as that? Huh?” Rothstein said with a bite. “I get room and board sure, but so do slaves! I was a free Forged! Now you’re saying I should just sit back fat and happy that Master feeds me after work? And who am I going to ‘campaign’ to stuck in this shithole casino? Drunks? Self-serving criminals?” He looked over at Future and then back at Violet Blue. “Fuck you. You deserve to suffer like the Dwarves and Humans, traitors.” Violet Blue stood back, unprepared for the cutting remarks. 

“Either way, it’s over Bast-” She corrected herself. “Rothstein. You’re under arrest for the kidnapping and assault of…” She looked over the railing at the volume of tables. “A lot of people.” Nona lifted him and put handcuffs on Rothstein as she read him his rights. Prophecy Investigations leaned back on the railing together, exhausted after the day’s proceedings. Realization washed over their faces at the same time.

“You still have to perform tonight,” Violet Blue said with a smirk at Future.

“ _Merde_ ,” Future moaned, putting her head in her hands.

* * *

Three hours later, everyone besides Future sat in the crowd before her performance in the Darklight Grand’s main concert hall. The room was filled with tables and waiters rushed around to make sure everyone was satisfied before the curtains would part on the glorious stage in the front of the hall. Marthia and Violet Blue sat together, holding hands. Marthia still had oil stains on the edges of her scalp, but she had put on her best denim dress for the occasion. Violet Blue had changed into a gorgeous green dress with a deep-V reaching her belly and soft floral patterns. Across from them was Vera, and even though she rarely changed out of her slim, black clothing and trench coat, wore a classic black dress with a finely decorated masquerade mask, giving hints of a lizard. She had her camera ready to take pictures of Future on stage, hoping to revel in her embarrassment. She looked relaxed and chuckled at a joke from Nona, who had a nearly identical back up suit, though this one was a fine burgundy and had buttoned up her shirt in order to slide on a slim matching tie. The group laughed and toasted drinks before Future's big performance.

It had been an eventful three hours before though. The team had unhooked everyone from the tables with Marthia’s help, after Violet Blue insisted she be taken out first. Eliza was rushed to the hospital for dehydration, along with some of the other folks who had been there for longer, but Nona had been able to wake her up and they shared a sweet kiss before she was gurneyed away. The group didn’t reveal the underground operation to Enith or the FBI, instead leaving it in Bazon’s hands, who had agreed to make sure it didn’t fall into the wrong hands and would maybe help the case for racial equality along a little more subtly than Rothstein intended. Though she made the arrest, Warren publicly fired Nona for not handing over Vera’s blackmail, which was fine with her. Glasshadow was carried out and given a proper burial, though none of the detectives were invited. 

Vera took a deep breath out to control her laughter. “You’re alright Agent-” She caught herself. “Sorry, Nona. I can get your job back with that photo if you’d like, you know.”

“Yeah, I don’t know. I think I’m done working for the shadiest agency in the United Empire. Besides, I hear there’s an opening at Prophecy Investigations I’m interested in.” She smiled as Vera sniffed. 

“I’d be happy to have you on the team.” She said, calmer than she had said anything else today.

“Of course you’d be welcome Nona! Though, you might have to intern for a few months…” Violet Blue joked, sending a mock glare at Vera. 

“Y’all just want another voice to be able to scold Future,” Nona joked back. “But I’m psyched to work with y’all.” She said turning towards the stage and tucking her conversation recorder back into her pocket, making a note to cut this out of the recording before turning it back over to Bridger. The curtains began to part and the lights dimmed as the conversations around the room did as well. The team sat in anticipation, waiting to see Future step out in the awful costume of her Hellcat days. 

“Hello, Mekka!” Future’s voice erupted over the loudspeakers as the crowd cheered. “Some of you may know me as Hellcat, though it has been years since I have graced any stage.” Whispers started amongst the crowd. A spotlight appeared on stage, showing Future’s old costume modeled on a mannequin. “You may remember the old Hellcat wore a little something like this.” The baggy black button-up with flame decals sat shining under the light, along with the frosted wig and wraparound sunglasses. The crowd’s whispers turned into murmurs.

“What the hell is she doing?” Nona mumbled as Vera held up her camera to get a shot of the mannequin. 

“But along with all of you, I have grown up.” Smoke arose from the stage as a platform lifted up a shining silhouette. The smoke parted and many people in the crowd gasped as Future stood, wearing an elegant black slit dress with subtle flame-colored sequins that stretched down to her ankles. She wore long black gloves with a dark masquerade mask fashioned in the style of her own face with a third eye and halo. The crowd stayed aghast as she walked down the stairs of the stage. “I am going to need a volunteer on stage. Someone who can dance.” Hands shot up around her as she pretended to decide over each table, slowly working her way to where the P.I.s sat.

“Would you care to join me?” Future said suavely, holding her hand out to Nona. Nona chuckled at Future’s gall and crossed her arms. Future squinted in a nearly invisible frustration.

Future almost imperceptibly shifted her hand over to Vera, offering her the same gesture. Vera pretended not to see it. Instead, she took a long sip of her drink, barely holding back a smile. A bead of sweat began to form on Future’s brow.

She turned her hand to Violet Blue who quickly shook her head and held up her and Marthia’s intertwined hands. 

A man with greasy slicked hair and a toothpick from the table next to the P.I.s stood up. He bowed to introduce himself “Darren,” he said, giving Future’s hand a kiss and causing her to glare at her compatriots stifling laughter at their table. “It would be a pleasure.” He said a little slurred as Future took him up to the stage. 

The trio laughed as they attempted a dance while Future sang slowly to _The Villian I Appear to Be_ , the jazz accompaniment behind her swelling up as she eventually ditched her clumsy partner to finish her set alone. 

“This won’t end well for us,” Nona said, clutching her stomach from holding back the laughter they were sharing. 

“No, it won’t” whispered a mysterious figure behind them, talking to themselves. They pulled their wide-brimmed hat down and their collar up, dropping their cigarette into the drink of their distracted tablemate before wandering to the outside doors of the casino. They fished a device out of their jacket pocket. “They’re here Cerric, what’s next?” 

  
  
  
  



End file.
